1. Organic Agriculture and the multi-dimensional
challenges of future food and farming systems
Niels Halberg & Lise Andreasen
International Centre for Research in
Organic Food Systems
Organic Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment
2. • Abundant food insecurity (FAO, 2006)
• Demand for food will increase (Evans, 2009, and others)
• Unsustainable use of natural production factors such as soil,
biological diversity and water (Pimentel et al., 1995; FAO, 2003)
• 60 % of ecosystem services are degraded (Millennium
Ecosystem Assessment, 2005)
• Intensive agriculture is depends on high energy but could
be energy self-reliant and could mitigate GHG emission
considerably (Smith et al., 2007)
• Agriculture is insufficiently prepared to cope with
unpredictability and adaptation to climate change
(Lobell et al., 2008)
Challenges for Sustainable Agricultural
Production and Farming Systems Dev.
3. IAASTD Executive summary (2009):
• Degradation of ecosystems limits or reverses
productivity gains
• A fundamental shift in AKST is required to successfully
meeting development and sustainability goals
• Recognition and increased importance to the
multifunctionality of agriculture is necessary
• Accounting for the complexity of agricultural systems
within the diverse social and ecological contexts
• Success requires increased public and private
investment in Agricultural Knowledge Science and
Technology
• An interdisciplinary and Agro-ecosystems approach
to knowledge production and sharing will be important
International Assessment of AKST
for development (IAASTD)
4. From focus on
increased
productivity
alone
To holistic integration
of Natural Ressource
Management with
food and nutritional
security
Main challenge (IAASTD):
”increased productivity of agri-
culture in a sustainable manner”
Organic principles may contribute to a valuable framework
for a future sustainable agricultural production!
5. • 70% of the world’s poor live in rural areas (< USD 2/day)
• 90% of farms in the world are less than 2 ha covering 60%
of the arable land worldwide
• Widespread subsistence production in isolated and marginal
locations with low levels of technology
• Widespread food insecurity in spite of sufficient food being
produced at global level food
Thus…..
Main challenge (IAASTD):
”increased productivity of agri-
culture in a sustainable manner”
Organic principles may contribute to a valuable framework
for a future sustainable agricultural production!
6. Organic agriculture is a production system that
sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and
people.
It relies on ecological processes, biodiversity and
cycles adapted to local conditions, rather than
the use of inputs with adverse effects.
Organic agriculture combines tradition,
innovation and science to benefit the shared
environment and promote fair relationships
and a good quality of life for all involved.
www.ifoam.org
Definition of Organic Agriculture
IFOAM, 2008
8. What is OA in developing countries?
Certified OA:
• Oriented towards
products
• Focused on few high-
value crops and quality
• Agro-organic methods
used in varying degrees
• Gives access to the
market and better prices
• Increasing market,
globally
• Will remain a niche in
the great number of
small householders
Non-certified/informal OA:
• Agro-ecological farming systems
• Conscious use of organic methods
• Follows the principles or ideas of
IFOAM,
• - but is not neccesarily certified
• Improving the soil fertility
• Using primarily local resources
• Using diversity in time and space
• Promote natural regulation and
recycling
• Decreasing the use of limited
ressources
9. Particularly useful in difficult environments
Reduces risk by encouraging localized input production
Fostering soil and water conservation
Encouraging the diversification of production (IFAD, 2005)
”There seems to be a strong
indication that the proliferation of
organic agriculture could be a viable
strategy to improve livelihoods in
Asia’s rural areas.” (ESCAP, 2002)
OA can help raise the productivity and income
of low-input agricultural systems
OA is a viable approach that
can be suitable for smallholders.
10. Organic Exports – A way to a Better Life?
Export Promotion of Organic Products from Africa
Organic Agriculture and Value Chains
Linking smallholders to markets: The EPOPA Experience
Pilot project in Eastern Africa
Cocoa, coffee, tea, fresh and dried fruit, cotton and spices
80,000 farmers involved and trained, 1997-2007
Price premiums and improved productivity
Farm gate value of certified cash crop production: 15 Mio US$ yearly
Local processing factories for drying, canning etc.
Total export value > 30 Mio US$ (last season)
Need for more innovation, uptake of agro-
ecological methods and for institutional support
http://www.grolink.se/epopa/Publications/epopa-experience.htm
11. Making diverse use of the certified organic land
in a Chinese village,
- attracting new market players
Transplanting strawberries in paddy fields for export
of freeze dried berries to the US market
Organic Agriculture and Value Chains
12. Rice, Philippines, 20001)
Soybeans, China3)
Cotton, India5)
Organic Conventional Organic Conventional Organic Conventional
USD ha-1
USD ha-1
Indian Rupees ha-1
Gross revenue 6502)
564 10884)
713 338496)
26078
Cash costs 39 118 7796 9334
Indirect costs7)
149 155
305 640
2369 2650
Net revenue 462 290 7834)
72.5 23684 14094
Yields, kg ha-1
3250 3520 3750 7500 1348 1283
Labour use,
Man days ha-1
49 52 190 181
1. Mendoza, 2004
2. A 25% price premium was obtained in certified organic
3. Giovannucci, 2005
4. Own calculations based on 2 years prices given in Giovannucci (2005)
5. Eyhorn et al., 2005. Numbers presented are averages of two years, own calculations
6. Includes value of pulse intercrop and a 20% price premium on organic
7. Mainly opportunity costs of own labour
Selected examples of comparisons between
organic vs. conventional cash crop production
in smallholder farms in Asia
Organic Agriculture
and farm economy
13. "… organic agriculture can be
more conducive to food
security than most conventional
systems, and .. it is more likely
to be sustainable in the
long term."
(UNEP-UNCTAD, 2008).
Organic Agriculture is a ”good
option for food security in Africa”
14. Region Number of
countries
represented
Number of
projects
analysed
Number of
farmers in
projects
(millon)
Number of
hectares*
million ha
Average
change in
crop yields**
per cent
Africa*** 24 114 1,900,000 2.0 +116
East Africa 7 71 1,600,000 1.4 +128
Tanzania 1 9 27,000 0.06 +67
Uganda 1 17 241,000 0.68 +54
* Organic and near-organic agriculture, million ha
** compared with beginning of projects, per cent
*** all countries with data
After Pretty et al., 2005
Yields of organic and
Agro-ecological agriculture in Africa
15. • Soil degradation
– Erosion
– Compaction
– Crusting and salinization
– Nutrient mining
– Loss of soil organic
matter
• Food security
– Yield reduction
– Efficiency of input use
reduced
– Micro nutrient
deficiency
Soil degradation
and food security
Need for paradigm shift in land husbandry and
Principles and practices for soil management
R. Lal, Food Security journal, 2009
16. • Mulching and recycling
organic residues
• improve soil structure and
quality
• Water conservation and
water use efficiency
• Adoption of diversified
cropping systems,
indigenous foods, GMO’s
high in nutrients
• Agro-forestry and mixed
farming
• No-till agriculture
• On-farm experimentation
and adaptation
• Use of micronutrient rich
fertilisers, nano-enhanced,
Zeolites
• Inoculating soils for
improved Biological
Nitrogen Fixation
• Microbial processes to
increase P-uptake
Solutions for soil and food quality
improvements
With adoption of proven management options, global soil
resources are adequate to meet food and nutritional needs of
the present and future population
R. Lal, 2009; Okalebo et al., 2006
17. • The organically treated soils were physically more
stable, contained smaller amounts of soluble
nutrients and were found to be biologically more
active than conventional. (DOK trials, Mäder et al.,
2002)
• Under organic farming the soil organic matter
captures and retains more water in the crop root
zone. Water capture in organic fields can also be
100% higher than in conventional fields during
torrential rains. (Rodale Institute, 2008)
Organic Agriculture
and soil quality
Results from different
long term experiments:
18. OA is good for biodiversity and
biodiversity is good for OA
Organic farmers use more
Agro-ecological methods:
• Mixed crop rotations, intercropping, …
• Grasslands and green manure,
• Habitats and non-farmed areas
• Non-chemical pest management
Promoting functional diversity means enhancing
and benefitting from Ecological service functions:
•Pollination
•Pest and disease prevention
•Biodiversity preservation,
•Soil quality
•Resilience
•In situ conservation of genes
19. Meta analysis of comparative studies (Bengtsson et al., 2005):
• Species richness 30% higher in organic farms (n=32)
– Birds, Plants
– Predatory insects, carabidae
• Species abundance 50% higher in organic farms (n=117)
– Weeds, Soil organisms (earthworms)
– Predatory insects, carabidae
– Not potential pest species!
Same picture in review Hole et al., 2005 (n=76)
Causes for higher diversity and abundance under organic farming:
•Non use of pesticides & fertiliser
•Friendly treatment of hedgerows and non-crop habitats on organic farms
•Preservation of mixed farming and diversified land use
Agro-ecological methods could also be used in non-organic
- but in reality is not!
Organic Agriculture promotes biodiversity
Scienific evidence…..
20. • Competitive productivity in low input
• Improved farm economy (less costly inputs and premium
prices in certified OA)
• Improved food security (availability, access, stability,
utilization)
• Improved soil health (fertility, stability, water-holding
capacity)
• Improved biodiversity and landscape preservation
• Reduced risk of pesticide toxication and residues in food
• Reduced nutrient lossess from intensive systems
• Climate change adaptation and mitigation
Organic Agriculture contributes
to eco-functional intensification
Potentials of OA:
Innovation, adaptation of agro-ecological methods is
needed to obtain the full potential of OA
21. Needs for Research and Innovation
in Organic Agriculture
Improved
integrated
Crop /
Livestock
manage-
ment
Improved
Soil
manage-
ment
Improved
biodiversity
for Pest
manage-
ment
Agroecology & Environment
Improved Food & Fibre Production
Value
Chains &
Economics
Improved
Market
linkages
and
chains
Social
Capital
Improved
Health &
Empow-
erment
in rural
communi-
ties
Eco-functional intensification is knowledge intensive
22. • Centre without walls
• Coordinator of research programmes
• Disseminating organic research results and
knowledge: Organic E-prints
• International board
• Asia, Africa, America, Europe, IFOAM
• Core Organic II
• Collaboration with international funding bodies and
research organisations interested in supporting
development of Organic food systems
www.icrofs.org
International Centre for Research
in Organic Food Systems (ICROFS)
www.orgprints.org
New multipartner initiative: ORCA…..
23. ICROFS’ Big Hairy Audacious Goal:
The principles of organic agriculture become
a global reference for sustainability in agriculture and
food systems
due to evidence based on research and adaptive
management.
Thank you
for your attention !
24. `vuta sukuma’ = pull - push system
for reducing stem borer and striga infestation’
in Maize and Sorghum in Eastern Africa
• Trap crops to attract moths to reduced pest problems
in crops: Napier and other fodder grasses
• Intercrops with repellant properties: legumes
• Striga control by intercropping with Desmodium
species (legumes)
• ”Opportunities for breeding and use of molecular
genetics”
Example: Science for development of
agro-ecological methods
25. Needs for Research and Innovation
in Organic Agriculture
Improved
integrated
Crop /
Livestock
manage-ment
Improved
Soil
manage-
ment
Improved
biodiversity
for Pest
manage-
ment
Agroecology & Environment
Improved Food & Fibre Production
Value
Chains &
Economics
Improved
Market
linkages
and chains
Social
Capital
Improved
Health &
Empower-
ment
in rural
communities
26. • Eco-functional intensification is knowledge intensive
• Develoment of agro-ecological methods
• Adoption of agro-ecological methods
• Value chain development for various markets
• Organic agriculture’s place in development strategies
• Evidence for decision makers
• Global collaboration in research and innovation
The multi-dimensional
challenges of OA
